Scott Flora of Blik: A Venice cottage gets graphic
Scott Flora, on a bright pink Fatboy beanbag chair, lifts daughter Aja in the living room. The “Heart Breakout” decal above them was conceived by Hybrid Design and produced by Flora’s company, Blik. “No one was really open to putting up something pink,” Flora says. “I had no problem with it. I probably pulled and replaced almost all of the squares. We encourage people to play with the designs.” To the right: David Bray’s decal titled “I Never Saw the Sign” sits atop a Room & Board dresser used as sideboard near the dining area. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Scott Flora, co-founder of the wall graphics company Blik, lives in a sunny Venice cottage that, not surprisingly, is lined with his company’s work. The house is a veritable test kitchen — a place for Flora and his colleagues to try out designs and ideas. Here’s a peek inside his small but sweet world.
“Visible Robot,” another decal design conceived by Hybrid Design and produced by Blik, waits around the corner from Aja, 14 months at the time the photo was taken. “I like changing something out and seeing how people react,” dad Flora said. “I love to see how people comment on things, even if it’s negative, so I know how our products make you feel.” (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
The home is a mix of vintage and new Midcentury designs, contemporary pieces from Room & Board and Blu Dot, and original works by local artists. True to the transitory spirit of Blik, Flora said his taste changes as “often as trees sway.” (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Flora and Susan Kaufman play with Aja in the nursery where “Incredible Circus,” a Blik decal designed by Threadless, has been installed over a crib designed by David Netto. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
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In Aja’s room, “Flutter” – a butterfly design by Christy Flora that is part of the company’s Re-Stik line of moveable, reusable decals – softens the nursery and adds a sweet note of whimsy. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
The bathroom of the Venice rental was freshened up with the “Fernwood Mirrors” design by Blaine Fontana. “I do like layering,” Flora said, adding that some other artwork in the bathroom is by Gosha Levochkin from C.A.V.E. Gallery in Venice. “I like a lot of the local galleries on Abbot Kinney and Westminster. The T.E.A. Room on Rose. Thinkspace gallery in Culver City. The pieces are not overpriced. I can get an interesting piece for a few hundred dollars.” (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Gerbera daisies add a bit of color to the stainless steel kitchen. The island is from Seville Classics in Torrance. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
A sun room has been turned into an office for Kaufman, a lawyer. Flora created a striking desk by covering a solid-core door from the hardware store in a custom Blik design. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
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“The Helium Menageries,” a discontinued Blik graphic by Threadless, endures in the ever-changing house. “I have an immediate response to the things that I really, really like,” Flora said. “You can’t always put a finger on why you like a specific piece of art. I have yet to really understand why I like specific things. I don’t try to think about why I like things. … Otherwise I get confused.” (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Flora and daughter Aja are reflected in a mirror attached to the living room door of his Venice home.
You can find more California houses in our Homes of The Times gallery. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
